by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in Kentucky to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 422 doctor's degrees in nursing to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of nursing for getting your doctor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for nursing students working on their doctor's degree.
The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Kentucky.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in nursing.
University of Louisville is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Louisville, UofL is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in nursing from University of Louisville
Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in nursing has to check out University of Kentucky. UK is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Lexington.More information about a doctorate in nursing from University of Kentucky
It is hard to beat Northern Kentucky University if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in nursing. NKU is a large public university located in the large suburb of Highland Heights.
Soon after graduating, nursing doctorate recipients generally make about $138,264 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a doctorate in nursing from Northern Kentucky University
It is hard to beat Bellarmine University if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in nursing. Bellarmine U is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Louisville.More information about a doctorate in nursing from Bellarmine University
Located in the small city of Bowling Green, WKU is a public university with a large student population.
Doctorate students who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $100,103 in their early career salary.
More information about a doctorate in nursing from Western Kentucky University
Eastern is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Richmond.More information about a doctorate in nursing from Eastern Kentucky University
Located in the distant town of Murray, Murray State is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.
Those nursing students who get their doctor's degree from Murray State University receive $49,088 more than the typical nursing grad.
More information about a doctorate in nursing from Murray State UniversityExplore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 138 | 636 |
| Virginia | 127 | 237 |
| Georgia | 126 | 236 |
| North Carolina | 115 | 372 |
| Mississippi | 113 | 50 |
| Louisiana | 103 | 147 |
| Tennessee | 102 | 344 |
| Alabama | 98 | 490 |
| South Carolina | 91 | 79 |
| Arkansas | 58 | 66 |
| West Virginia | 49 | 36 |
Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Nursing Practice | 232 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 179 |
| Nursing Administration | 6 |
| Nursing Science | 5 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Medicine | 452 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | 240 |
| Dentistry | 186 |
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | 180 |
| Optometry | 55 |
| Communication Sciences | 11 |
| Public Health | 6 |
| Bioethics/Medical Ethics | 5 |
| Medical Science | 4 |
